Las Vegas Review-Journal Names New Top Editor of Paper

The Las Vegas Review-Journal said on Friday that it had appointed a new editor, several weeks after the newspaper was bought by the billionaire casino magnate and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson under controversial circumstances.

J. Keith Moyer, who has been an editor at The Fresno Bee and The Arkansas Gazette and has been on the journalism faculty of the University of Minnesota, will become both editor in chief and senior vice president for content, the newspaper said.

“I look forward to working with the talented Review-Journal news staff during a transformational time as we take our well-regarded news organization to higher levels of public service, news delivery and overall journalistic excellence,” Mr. Moyer said in a statement.

The appointment was the latest change since Mr. Adelson bought the paper, and associated assets, for $140 million in December. The purchase was made through a recently incorporated Delaware company; only the name of an associate was listed on the documents. The Review-Journal’s reporters later discovered that Mr. Adelson, one of the wealthiest men in America, was behind the purchase.

The Review-Journal’s publisher was also recently replaced.

On Friday the newspaper’s editorial board, now overseen by Mr. Adelson and his family, endorsed Marco Rubio for the coming Nevada Republican caucus.

Mr. Adelson is a much-courted Republican kingmaker, but the paper said its editorial board had met with Mr. Rubio two months before Mr. Adelson’s purchase was announced.

“The Adelsons have detached themselves from our endorsement process,” the editorial said, “and our endorsement of Sen. Rubio does not represent the support of the family.”